AWE with Marana Lark
by pirateprincezz10113
Summary: AWE with an OC and an alternate ending. Marana goes through changes and violence and eventually proves that even the most unlikely people can find love.
1. Return from the Dead

_**At World's End with Marana Lark**_

**This is the last story in this trilogy. I might write a fourth story, if I get enough positive reviews about this one. So keep reading and reviewing!**

**Return from the Dead**

Twisted dreams haunted the mind of young Marana Lark, while she traveled the border between the living world and Davy Jones' Locker. She was surrounded by thick black clouds and thoughts of Jack Sparrow, whose death she had just witnessed.

Marana felt something warm on her chest. She was dreaming of Jack.

She heard voices.

Jack's dark brown eyes and handsome smile were burned into her mind.

"She's alive!"

"How did you do it?"

"I just contacted her spirit in the world of the dead and asked it to come back."

"Marana, Marana, can you hear me?"

Marana's dark eyes snapped open, and she was enveloped in a thin pair of arms. A wave of dirty-blonde hair curtained her own dark brown locks. She pushed away the person hugging her and looked around. She was on a small bed in a small house that looked strangely familiar. Around her were Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Gibbs, Tia Dalma, and someone in a large feathered hat. She squinted to get a better look. She immediately felt sick to her stomach.

"Barbossa?" she asked in suspicion.

"Aye, Miss Lark, you're not the only one who's been brought back from the dead." he smirked at her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa,_ hold on a minute. Return from the dead? What are you talking about?" she was really confused.

Will placed a soothing hand on her arm. Tia Dalma gave a crooked smile. "Marana, child, I examined your body. You were killed by the leviathan of Davy Jones. Your friends found your body, and they brought you here. Luckily, you were just dead, so I was able to reincarnate you." Marana suddenly burst into tears.

The gypsy turned to the others. "I would like to be alone with her for a little while." The others walked out of the little room. Tia Dalma rubbed Marana's back gently. "Marana child, whatever is wrong?"

Marana had to fight back tears in order to speak. "Jack…Jack…I want Jack. He's dead. I saw him die. He's gone." she was rocking back and forth, choking on her sobs. Tia Dalma lifted her chin so their eyes met.

"Jack Sparrow died honorably. Him heart beat only for you. Him knows that he never stop loving you. And you love him as well, do you not?"

"I don't care if he died honorably! I just want him back!" her sobs became long and violent. The gypsy whispered in her ear.

"Child, I can hear Jack's spirit speaking to you." Tia Dalma placed a hand over Marana's forehead. Marana could hear Jack's deep voice.

_Marana, I have passed on, but I know you haven't. I want you to know that I love you and will always love you. You are incredibly beautiful and strong, and I know you can handle this. Don't worry about me. I love you, Marana._

Marana snapped back into reality. She had a terrible headache. As she clutched her temples, she looked into the eyes of the gypsy. She could see warmth, care, and beauty. Marana could see herself in those eyes. She straightened and asked, "We have to bring him back."

Tia Dalma smiled. "Yes, child, soon that day will come."


	2. Singapore

**Singapore**

"_Some have died and some are alive_

_Others sail on the seas_

_With the keys to the cage_

_And the devil to pay_

_We lay to Fiddler's Green"_

Elizabeth and marana sat in a small canoe, paddling through the murky rivers of Singapore, singing. Marana refused to look at her friend, but stuck to the plan because she didn't want to blow all chances of rescuing Jack.

"_The bell has been raised from its watery grave_

_Hear its sepulchral tone_

_A call to all_

_Pay heed the squall_

_Turn your sails to home"_

They reached a small dock and tied the canoe to a post. As they stepped out, they sang the chorus of the song

"_Yo ho_

_Haul together_

_Hoist the colors high_

_Heave ho-"_

"Thief and beggar, never shall we die!" a man's voice, masked by a thick Chinese accent, finished for them. The owner of the voice, flanked by two other men, approached the two girls. "A dangerous song to be singing…for any who are ignorant of its meaning…particularly two women…" he smirked. "…particularly two women alone."

"What makes you think they're alone?" Barbossa stepped down from a hidden set of stairs.

"You protect her?" asked the man, called Tai Huang.

Marana pulled out a dagger and held it to his neck. "And what makes you think we need protecting?" The two guards immediately pulled out pistols and aimed at her.

"You're master's expecting us," he said to Huang. He turned to Marana. "And an unexpected death'd cast a slight pall on our meeting." Marana let go of him. Huang beckoned them into a passage, where they traveled down a murky tunnel.

"Have you heard anything from Will?" Elizabeth asked of Barbossa once they had reached Sao Feng's hideout. Barbossa smiled.

"I trust young Turner to acquire the charts, and you ladies to remember your place in the presence of Captain Sao Feng."

"Is he that terrifying?" asked Marana.

"He's much like meself, but absent my merciful nature and sense of fair play." replied the captain.

They reached a circular door among the crowded streets. Once they were brought in, they were ordered to disarm.

Marana and Elizabeth surrendered their swords and two of their pistols. Huang looked suspiciously at them.

"Do you think because they are women we would not suspect them of treachery?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Barbossa smiled.

"Remove," said Huang. "Please."

The girls removed their hats and jackets, to reveal a total of twelve more pistols, two hand grenades, and a horn of gunpowder. After a pause, Marana reached down into the leg of her pants. She tugged hard and pulled out a large and heavy gun, which she placed on the table along with the rest of her weapons.

Huang stopped them when they tried to pass.

"Remove. Please."

They were both forced to change into thin robes that prevented them from carrying any weapons. Elizabeth's was blue, and it barely covered her thighs. Marana's was red, and went to her knees. They were led into the main part of the bathhouse. Giant tubs filled the room, along with fungus-covered bathers and attendants. The girls were revolted, but they followed Barbossa to a low set of stairs. Someone stood at the top, surrounded by steam, with two women beside him. He had his back to them, but when he turned around, Marana knew who he was.


	3. Sao Feng

**Sao Feng**

Sao Feng turned to face them. Barbossa immediately bowed deeply. The girls followed his example. When they straightened, Feng addressed them,

"Captain Barbossa, Marana Lark, welcome to Singapore." He turned to one of his maids. "More steam," he commanded. Steam soon filled the tiny space. Marana turned to Barbossa and whispered,

"Why does he know who you and I are, but not Elizabeth?" She got a shrug in reply.

"I understand you have a…request to make of me." Feng stepped down in front of them.

"More of a proposal to put to ye…" replied Barbossa. 'I've a venture underway…"

"And we're in need of a ship and a crew." Marana finished for him.

Feng scratched his head. "Hmmm…it's an odd coincidence…"

"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" asked Elizabeth from behind Marana.

"No," replied Feng. "…because earlier this day, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple and tried to make off…with these." He took what looked like a heavy brown scroll from an old man sitting in a chair. "The navigational charts…the route to the Farthest Gate. Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?"

"It would strain credulity at that." said Barbossa, trying to act innocent.

Feng gestured to two men standing beside a tub. They took hold of a pole and lifted, revealing Will to the crowd.

"This is the thief," said Feng. "Is his face familiar to you?"

Barbossa, Marana, and Elizabeth were quick to shake their heads. Feng pulled out a wooden fid. "Then, I guess, he has no further need for it." He thrust the fid in Will's direction.

"No, no!" gasped Marana and Elizabeth.

Feng halted and put the fid into his belt. "You come into my city, and you betray my hospitality." he accused.

"Sao Feng, I assure you, I had no idea-"

"That he would get caught!" yelled Feng. The people around them all got out of their tubs. "You intend to attempt the voyage to Davy Jones' Locker, but I cannot help but wonder…why?"

Marana was about to say something when Barbossa threw something at him. Feng caught the silver piece of eight, spat on it, and held it to his ear. Its clear ring filled the bathhouse. Barbossa approached the pirate.

"The song has been sung. The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As on of the nine pirate lords, you must honor the call."

Feng spat at his attendants. "More steam."

When no steam came, he shouted, "More steam!"

Once the steam had filled the room, he began talking again. "There is a price on all our heads. It is true. It seems the only way a pirate can turn profit anymore is by betraying other pirates."

"The First Court gave us rule of the seas, and now that rule is being challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett." said Barbossa.

Feng interjected. "Against the East India Trading Company, what value is the Brethren Court? What can any of us do?"

"You can fight!" shouted Marana. "You are Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of Singapore. You command in the Age of Piracy, where bold captains sail free waters, where waves are not measured in feet but increments of fear, and those who pass the test become legend."

Elizabeth joined in. "Would you have that era come to an end on your watch? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy-"

"-and yet you sit here cowering in your bathwater!" Marana finished boldly.

Feng stepped down. "Elizabeth Swann…there is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"

He leaned closer to her. "And the eye does not go wanting."

He pointed at Barbossa. "But I cannot help but notice you have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones' Locker?"

"Jack Sparrow," Marana and Will answered at the same time.

The two attendants began giggling. Marana added, "He's one of the Pirate Lords."

Feng turned away angrily. "The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead…is so I can send him back myself!" Marana had to be restrained, or she would have lashed out at him. She and Barbossa stepped up to the (now very angry) pirate.

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the Nine Pieces of Eight." said Marana.

"He failed to pass it along to his successor before he died," he gestured at Marana. "So we must go and get him back."

Feng smirked. "So…you admit…you have deceived me. Weapons!" Immediately, all of the bathers in the room pulled out swords and pistols and knives. Barbossa, Elizabeth, and Marana all held their hands up.

"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable!" said Barbossa. At that moment, six swords sailed up through the floorboards, into the hands of Barbossa and his companions.

Feng grabbed a random man and held his sword to his throat. "Drop your weapons, or I kill the man!"

"Kill him. He's not our man." said Barbossa.

"If he's not with you…and he's not with us…" began Will.

"…who's he with?" asked Marana.

As soon as she said that, the doors of the bathhouse burst open, and East India Co. soldiers charged in.


	4. Escape

Escape

**Escape**

The occupants of the bathhouse immediately pushed past the soldiers and ran out into the streets. The charts sailed back and forth between Sao Feng and Tai Huang. Marana stabbed anyone who got in her way. She eventually fell behind the others. She had just pulled her sword out of another soldier when she felt an arm wrap around her neck and a pistol cock against her head. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Well, Lord Beckett's going to be happy about this." a voice hissed in her ear.

"Mercer?" she asked.

"Right, miss. Lord Beckett gave me strict instructions to find you, and I've done my task. Now, we should get back to the ship, shall we, now?" He began dragging her towards the docks. Marana raised one leg and kicked him in the groin. She took off running. She ran after Will, since she couldn't see the others. Mercer was following her, but she was faster than he was. Eventually, he found her and pulled her into an alley.

"Thought you could get away that easily, did you?" he growled. 

"What does Lord Beckett want with me?" she spat.

"He knows you have connections with the Brethren Court. You're a descendant of the Roberts family."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I've said too much. Let's go." Then they saw Will and Feng enter the alleyway. Mercer pulled her behind a stack of crates. 

"It's an odd coincidence, isn't it?" asked Feng. "The East India Trading Company finds me the day you show up in Singapore."

"It is coincidence only." replied Will. He pulled out a dagger.

"You cross Barbossa; you are willing to cross Jack Sparrow, so why should I expect any better?"

"I need the _Black Pearl _to free my father. You're helping me to get it." He tucked the dagger back into his belt.

Mercer spotted a pirate entering the alleyway, so he had to let go of her temporarily so he could shoot him. Marana quietly slipped out and ran after Will. When she caught up with him, he had found Barbossa and Elizabeth.

"You have the charts?" asked Barbossa. Will tossed the charts to him. 

"And better yet – a ship and a crew." 

"Where's Sao Feng?" asked Marana.

"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove." replied Will.

They all proceeded to the _Hai Peng_, which lay in the harbor, waiting for them. Marana, once she had gotten on the ship, leaned on the rail and burst into tears.

"What be wrong, child?" Tia Dalma approached and placed a soothing hand on Marana's back.

"I just…I want…I just want Jack!" she cried before burying her face in her hands.

"It's alright, child. You will see your dear Jack Sparrow soon…the love between the two of you is pulling you back together." 


	5. The Riddle

The Riddle

**The Riddle**

The _Hai Peng_ was making good progress through an icy pass. Everywhere Marana looked, she saw icebergs, water, and more icebergs. She spent days leaning on the rail, keeping as warm as she could, thinking about Jack.

"No one said anything about cold," she heard Pintel grumble from a few feet away.

"I'm sure there's a good reason…for our suffering," Ragetti gave a reply while shivering.

Pintel rolled his eyes. "Why don't that obeah woman just bring Jack back the same way she brought back Barbossa and Marana?"

"Because I and Barbossa were only dead!" Marana snapped. Tia Dalma appeared behind her.

"Jack Sparrow is taken…body and soul…to a place not of death…but punishment. The worst fate a person can bring upon himself…that's what waits at Davy Jones' Locker!" the gypsy snapped before walking away, rubbing her bare arms.

Marana followed her. She wrapped her coat as tightly as possible around her thin body. "Once we get to the Locker, will Jack recognize us? I've heard that people go mad when they get there." she stepped up to Tia Dalma cautiously as they approached the bow.

The gypsy turned and gave Marana a little nod. Marana turned and walked over to where Will was sitting with Tai Huang. They were pondering over the navigational charts. The charts were a square-shaped scroll made of reeds with several rings in the center. The rings could be turned to show different map pieces.

"Nothing here is set," Will muttered while shivering. A cloud of mist escaped from his lips. Marana noticed he had no coat, so she knelt beside him and wrapped one arm around his shoulders. He looked a little surprised at the gesture, but gave a tiny smile. Marana smiled back and looked quizzically at the charts.

"These can't be as accurate as modern charts," she observed.

"No," replied Huang, "But it leads to more places."

Will lined up two of the rings, and messy lettering came into place.

"Over the edge…" he read.

"Over again…" Marana added.

"Sunrise sets…"

"Flash of green…" Marana took the charts as they were and brought them before the captain.

"Do you care to interpret Captain Barbossa?" she inquired with a smirk on her face.

Barbossa took the charts and smirked as well. "Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?"

Gibbs let go of the rope he was holding and looked out from the stern. "I reckon I've seen my share…happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives and never see it. Some claim to have seen it who ain't. Some say-"

"It signals when a soul comes back to this world from the dead!" Marana and Pintel exclaimed at the same time. Will looked a little nervous.

"Don't fret, Master Turner and Miss Lark," Barbossa took the tiller. "It's not getting to the Land of the Dead that's the problem…" He gave the tiller a sharp turn. "It's getting back!"

Marana gulped.

The _Hai Peng _was sailing into a long, dark tunnel that led into a cave.

- - - - - - -

Marana straddled on the bowsprit hours later thinking of Jack. She remembered the last thing he had said to her before the Kraken killed them both. She played it over and over again in her head until she was almost tired of it. The she remembered the day she was supposed to be Will and Elizabeth's maid of honor, but then the wedding had been ruined by her arrest and Will's arrest at the demand of Lord Beckett. She also remembered her last kiss with Jack. He had pulled her into his boat as he had been escaping from the Kraken as it took down the _Pearl_. She had kissed him very quickly, and now she wished it had been longer. As she slid down from the bowsprit, Will came up behind her.

"Marana, is everything alright?"

Tears began welling up in her big brown eyes. They began to drip down her face. Will noticed her tears. "Marana…" he pulled her to him and held her in a tight hug. She cautiously hugged him back, her tears spilling onto his shoulder. He didn't care. When she pulled back, he held her face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Don't worry, Marana. We will find Jack."

Marana knew it wasn't much, but it helped a little. She stood on tiptoe and gave Will a tiny peck on his cheek. Then she noticed something. Ahead, the water stopped, and mist rose from where it ended. She pointed it out to Will and then went to alert Barbossa.

"Barbossa!" she climbed the stairs to where Barbossa stood at the tiller. Will followed closely after her.

"Barbossa, ahead!" he shouted.

He smiled as he stared out ahead of them. "Aye, we're good and lost now."

"Lost?" Elizabeth came up next to Marana.

"Aye," Barbossa replied. "For certain you have to be lost to find a place as can't be found…"

"Otherwise everyone would know where it was." Marana finished.

A deep rumbling sound was coming towards them.

"We're gaining speed!" Marana cried out.

"To stations!" Will shouted.

"All hands to stations!" Marana shouted. "Rudder full!"

"Hard aport! Gather way, keep her trim!" Will began running towards the tiller.

"Nay, belay that! Let her run straight and true!" Barbossa shouted above everyone else. The crew continued scrambling around the deck and climbing the rigging.

"You've doomed us all!" Marana and Elizabeth accused of Barbossa.

Marana ran to the edge of the ship and grabbed a rope, tying it in a sharp knot around her wrist before clasping it in her hand. The ship was being drawn towards a giant waterfall.

She screamed as loud as she could as the _Hai Peng_ toppled over the edge and into neverending blackness.


	6. Jack Sparrow

Jack Sparrow

**Jack Sparrow**

Marana didn't know what happened next. All she knew was that she saw black, and then light as she and the rest of the crew staggered onto the sandy beach where the wreckage of the _Hai Peng_ lay.

"This truly is a godforsaken place," Gibbs remarked as he came up next to Marana.

"I don't see Jack," said Marana.

"I don't see anyone," Elizabeth added.

"He's here," Barbossa declared. "Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took."

"And does it matter?" Marana stood in front of him boldly.

Will stood next to her and added, "We're trapped here by your doing, no different than Jack."

Marana noticed that a herd of white rock-looking crabs began crawling towards the water. Tia Dalma was petting one of them as it lay in her palm.

"Witty Jack…" she said slowly, "…Is closer than you think."

Marana looked up towards the sandy hill that stood before them. She gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth when she saw the _Black Pearl_ coming up to the top.

"Oh, my God!" she managed to gasp out. The _Pearl_ began descending down the hill and towards the water. It was being carried by hundreds of the white crabs.

"Impossible…" Huang remarked.

Gibbs smiled. "Slap me thrice and hand me to me mama…it's Jack!"

Marana smiled gently and began walking towards the beach, where she could see Jack rowing ashore in a little boat.

The first thing Jack saw when he dragged the boat ashore was a battered black boot. He followed his gaze up to see a pair of tattered brown pants, a tight and fitting black leather vest, a baggy white shirt, and a head of dark and slightly tangled brown hair. Marana took cautious steps towards him. He had a look of utter shock etched across his face. Marana reached out to hug him, but he gently pushed her arms away. She was confused.

He strode fast and sure towards the rest of the group. Marana chased after him.

"Mr. Gibbs!" he shouted as he approached his first mate.

"Aye, captain!" Gibbs stood straight as Jack stood in front of him.

"I thought so," Jack said. "I expect you're able to account for your actions, then."

"Sir?" Gibbs was confused.

"There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel…why? Why is that, sir?" Jack shouted.

"Jack!" Marana grabbed one of his arms.

"Sir…" Gibbs started.

"Jack, you're in Davy Jones' Locker…" Marana gazed deeply into his eyes. He looked confused.

"I know that," he snapped at her. "I know where I am. And don't think I don't!" He pulled away from her.

"Jack Sparrow!" Barbossa stepped forward from the group.

"Ah, Hector!" Jack smiled and swaggered down to him. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye…Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me." Barbossa accused.

Jack looked confused again. "No, I didn't," he said. Then he spotted the gypsy. "Tia Dalma, out and about, eh? You add an agreeable sense of macabre to any delirium." Tia Dalma just gave a tiny smile.

"He thinks we're a hallucination," Will pointed out.

Jack walked towards the former blacksmith. "William, tell me something. Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel? Er…rather…damsel in distress…either one."

"No," Will said flatly.

"Well, then you wouldn't be here, would you? So you can't be here. QED, you're not really here!" Jack walked back to the front of the group. He was stopped when he heard another female voice.

"Jack, this is real. We're here." Elizabeth stepped forward.

Jack ran back to Gibbs and Marana. "The Locker, you say?" he asked.

"Aye," they both replied.

"We've come to rescue you!" Elizabeth stepped forward even more and put herself in front of Jack.

"Have you, now? Well, that's very kind of you. But it would seem that as I possess a ship and you don't, you're the ones in need of rescuing, and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood."

Barbossa pointed out at the _Pearl_. "I see my ship…right there."

Jack stepped forward. "I can't spot it…it must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the _Pearl_."

"Jack!" Marana clasped one of his shoulders from behind. "Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones."

"He controls the _Flying Dutchman_." Will added, coming up on Jack's other side.

"He's taking over the seas," Elizabeth stood by Marana.

Ti Dalma came up beside Will. "The song had already been sung. The Brethren Court is called."

Jack stepped away from all of them. "Leave you people alone for just a minute and look what happens! Everything's gone to pot!" He strode towards his little rowboat.

"Aye, Jack, the world needs you back something fierce!" Gibbs called out.

"And you need a crew!" Marana added.

Jack turned around. "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past. One of you succeeded." He looked at Elizabeth.

She looked guilty. Jack smirked. "Oh, she's not told you. Well, you'll have loads to talk about while you're here."

Marana's head was swimming with scattered thoughts while Jack walked amongst the group, picking who he wanted to come with him. Why was he ignoring her like this?

The next thing she heard was Jack calling out, "Weigh anchor, all hands! Prepare to make sail!" He opened his compass. The dial spun continuously in the same direction but never stopped. He closed it.

"Jack?" Barbossa held the charts, with Will and Elizabeth to his left and Pintel and Ragetti to his right. "Which way ya going, Jack?"

Jack looked behind them and saw Marana walking down towards the boat.

- - - - - - -

Marana, as soon as she got back onto the _Pearl_, went immediately for the railing and leaned on it, staring out at the beach they had just been on.

She heard jack and Barbossa arguing. Then she heard Pintel scream something at them, and both went silent. Then she heard footsteps coming towards her. She felt an arm coil around her shoulders. She looked up to see Jack.

"I missed you, Marana."

"Oh, now you recognize me?" she snapped angrily. Jack looked insulted.

"Of course I recognized you." he leaned into her a little.

"Then why didn't you say something?" she asked with a crack in her voice.

"Oh…" Jack pulled her to him and hugged her gently, resting his head on her brown locks. She took in deep breaths and just let herself be hugging him. "I love you, Marana." he whispered.

Marana pulled away from him. Tears were gathering in her eyes.

"Marana, what is it?" Jack reached out to her, but pulled his hand away. She looked down as she tried not to cry. "Marana, if there's something wrong, please tell me. I hate seeing you sad. It burns my heart to ash."

Marana suddenly looked up at him with a huge smile on her face and threw her arms around him. Jack laughed and hugged her back, kissing her face before he put her down. "I love you, too," she whispered. She stepped a little closer and kissed his cheek gently. When she stood back, Jack took her hands.

"Is that all?" he asked playfully. She laughed and kissed him again, this time on his lips. It was longer than any other time they had kissed, and Marana felt more than just happiness. She felt victory, and love.


	7. A Fearful Night

A Fearful Night

**A Fearful Night**

That night, Marana stood by the railing, with the sleeves of her shirt rolled up past her elbows, her hair tied into a mid-height ponytail, and the first two buttons undone from her vest. She was thinking about Jack, and Will and Elizabeth. She had noticed that her two friends hadn't been talking much since they left Singapore. She had also heard Barbossa and Jack talking about her in hushed voices.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Jack smiling sweetly at her. She returned the smile and took one of his hands. Then she let go and stared out at the ocean.

"Jack…" she began.

"Yes, love?" He took a step closer and looked at her intently.

"Do you remember that first time we kissed?" she asked with a tiny little smile playing across her lips.

Jack smirked. "I remember it all too well, my darling." He took her hands. "And I have never forgotten." He leaned forward, so that his forehead met hers. "And I never will." He gave her nose a little kiss. Marana felt a rush of emotion that came every time she was this close to him. She felt like she loved him more than she believed she did.

Marana stepped back a little so she could see his face perfectly. "And do you remember the time you said you loved me?"

He nodded. "I always will love you, Marana. Believe me, darling. I've never really loved another woman as much as I love you."

Marana smiled. "And…do you remember…when the Kraken took us down?"

Jack's broad smile turned into a frown. "Yes, I remember that." He looked away. Marana put a gentle hand to his face and altered his head so their eyes met.

"You should be thanking Elizabeth and Will for saving me, Jack. They found my body, which was left with the wreckage of the ship. They brought me with them to Tia Dalma, who reincarnated me. Otherwise, I would have been down in the Locker, losing my mind."

Jack removed her hand from his face. "Marana…I'm glad they saved you. You are young…and I want you have a full and complete life. I want you to do as much as you can…but have time for me as well…for the man who loves you for who you truly are: the girl of my dreams."

Marana grinned widely and gave him a gentle hug. He coiled his arms around her waist. Then Marana had to pull away to look out at something that was approaching the ship.

A group of boats was moving around the _Pearl_, each boat with no rowers, and each lit by a single lantern. She saw a variety of people in them, from fancy gentlemen to well-dressed ladies to a set of twin girls sharing a boat. Then she saw one with two people that made her want to scream. Elizabeth appeared next to her.

"It's my father, we've made it back!" she shouted.

"And it's Conrad, my brother!" Marana added.

"Father!" Elizabeth smiled broadly.

"Conrad! Look here!" Marana leaned over the railing to project her voice.

"Elizabeth…Marana…we're not back," Jack said solemnly as he approached them. Their smiles faded.

"Father!" Elizabeth followed the boat as it continued to glide past the ship.

"Conrad!" Marana did the same.

"Marana, Elizabeth…are you dead?" Conrad finally looked up at them.

"No!" they both gasped.

"I think I am," both Swann and Conrad replied.

"No, no you can't be," the girls shook their heads in disbelief.

"There was this chest, you see," Conrad began.

"Someone cast a line!" Marana commanded.

"Come back with us!" Elizabeth shouted.

"…And a heart," Swann continued. "I learned that if you stab the heart, yours must take its place."

"It's a silly thing to die for…" Conrad shook his head.

Marana grabbed a long rope and tossed it out to the boat. "Conrad! Governor Swann! Take the line please!"

"Father, the line, take the line!" Elizabeth sobbed.

"I'm so proud of you, Marana." Conrad smiled up at his little sister,

"And I you, Elizabeth," Swann added.

The girls sobbed as the rope slipped from the boat and into the water.

"I'll give your love to your mother, child," Swann said as the boat began to float away.

"And I will give your love, Marana, to Father and Mother," Conrad added.

The girls continued to cry after the ones they loved. They ran down towards the bow.

"They must not leave the ship!" Tia Dalma shouted. Everyone ran up to the bow to stop them. Just as Elizabeth and Marana were climbing the rigging to dive from the ship, they were both pulled down. Will hugged Elizabeth to him as Jack did the same with Marana. Both girls cried in their loves' arms and shook with fear and agony.

"Is there a way?" Will asked of Tia Dalma.

The gypsy shook her head. "They be at peace…"


	8. The Mysterious Connection

The Mysterious Connection

**The Mysterious Connection**

The following morning, Jack sat at the helm, staring at the charts, trying to find a way out of the Locker. Marana leaned on his shoulders, amazed by the different inks and pictures of the charts. Although she had just seen her dead brother the previous night, she was trying to put her mind off of it and concentrate on getting back to the real world.

Jack wrapped one arm around Marana's waist while he used the other hand to turn one of the rings on the charts. Three words appeared.

"Up is down," Jack read. "Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful. Why are these things never clear?"

Then Jack got a funny look on his face. "What? Eh?" Marana was confused.

She got up and walked over to the rail. Jack was babbling to himself, talking about rum and sunsets and the sea. Then, suddenly, he got up and ran over to the rail next to her.

"What's that?" he cried out. He was staring at something out at sea.

"What is it?" Marana asked.

"I don't know. What do you think?" Jack replied.

"I don't see anything, Jack." Marana stated.

"Where?" Gibbs came up next to them.

"There…" Jack pointed ahead of them. Then he yelped and ran to the other side of the ship. Elizabeth got up and stood next to Marana.

"What is it?" she asked. Marana noticed that her eyes were a little red and glassy from crying.

"Jack, you're crazy! There's nothing there!" Marana was a little irritated.

Jack however just ran to other side of the ship.

"He's rocking the ship!" Pintel observed.

Barbossa looked at the charts and said, "Aye, he's onto it!"

Barbossa went down to the cargo hold, shouting, "Loose the cannons, you lazy bilge rats! Unstow the cargo! Let it shift!" Then he came back up, where the entire crew was running back and forth across the ship. It was getting further and further to flipping completely over, which was what Jack wanted. Finally, when it was almost completely on its side, everyone grabbed onto the rail and held on a tightly as they could. Marana was next to Jack. He had one arm around her waist and the other on the rail.

"Now up…" said Jack, "…is down!"

The _Pearl_ flipped onto its side, plunged into the water, and became fully submerged. Marana felt a lot of water rush into her nose. She started coughing, and she lost her grip on the rail, and Jack lost his grip on her. She slipped further down, while Jack madly tried to grab her hand while simultaneously trying to keep his grip on the rail. Marana noticed that Will was falling too. Grabbing his hand, she held on tightly to a section of the rigging. Marana was losing air rapidly, since she was still coughing. Will wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him.

Suddenly, there was a bright green flash, and they heard a deep rumbling sound. The ship began moving upward, until there was a giant splash, and the ship burst up out of the water and came to rest on the surface.

Marana coughed uncontrollably. The deck was covered in several inches of water, which was spilling off into the ocean. She tried her best to sit up. She looked around and saw that the sun was rising. She stood up and looked out at it. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

Before she could completely grasp what was happening, she felt a pair of arms almost crushing her in a hug.

"Jack!" she shrieked. "Oh, my God, let go of me!"

Jack quickly let go of her and stood back a little. Marana took deep breaths until she could speak completely.

"Oh, God, I thought I was going to die. I could barely breathe."

Jack looked scared to death. "I thought I was going to lose you…I saw you coughing so hard…it scared me half to death."

Marana saw a tear drip from his eyes. "Jack, come here." She wrapped him up in a gentle hug. He hugged her back, relieved that she was still alive. Then he let go and they both walked towards the middle of the deck. Just then, Barbossa yanked out his pistols and pointed one at Jack. Will and Elizabeth each pointed one at Barbossa and one at Jack. Jack pointed his two at Will and Elizabeth. Marana stood in the middle of the circle, with her two aimed at Barbossa.

Then, everyone started laughing. They lowered their pistols until Barbossa snapped his back up.

"All right, then!" Barbossa shouted. "The Brethren Court is a-gathering at Shipwreck Cove. And Jack, you and Marana and I are a-going. There'll be no arguing that point!"

"Wait, wait, wait, what do _I_ have to do with the Brethren Court?" Marana asked Barbossa.

Jack nudged her to the side a little. "I is arguing the point," he said to Barbossa. "If there's pirates a-gathering, I'm pointing my ship the other way."

Marana whirled around and aimed her pistols at Jack. "The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett!" she was getting angry.

"And you're a pirate!" Elizabeth's pistols went towards Jack.

Will imitated Marana and Elizabeth with his pistols. "Fight or not, you're not running, Jack!" he declared. Jack had one pistol aimed at Will, while the other was aimed at Marana. He moved the one aimed at Marana to Elizabeth. Barbossa had one pistol still pointed at Jack, and the other was pointed at Will.

"If we don't stand together," he stated, "They'll hunt us down one by one, till there'll be none left…but you!"

Jack smiled. "I quite like the sound of that: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Last Pirate!" He looked wistful.

"Aye," Barbossa stepped forward. "And you'll be fighting Jones alone, and how does that figure into your plan?"

"I'm still working on that," Jack stated. "But I will not be going back to the Locker, mate. Count on that." He aimed one pistol at Barbossa and pulled the trigger. A lot of brown water came from the barrel. Marana, Elizabeth, Will, and Barbossa all fired theirs, but the same thing happened.

"Wet powder…" Marana said as if disappointed.

She put away her pistols and walked out to the bow, where she climbed onto the bowsprit. She sat facing the back of the ship. She leaned back as Jack walked up the stairs and stood below her.

"Jack, what do I have to do with the Brethren Court?"

Marana looked expectantly at Jack and waited for an answer.

"You don't know yet?" Jack sounded surprised.

Marana shook her head with a confused look on her face.

Jack reached out with one hand. "Maybe you should come down here, love."

Marana took his hand and climbed down. Jack rested both hands on her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Marana…" he began. "Do you know the name of your great-grandfather on your father's side?"

Marana replied, "Christopher Anthony Lark?"

Jack shook his head slowly. "No…his name was Bartholomew Edward Roberts, and he was one of the great men who wrote the Pirate Code."

Marana looked a little surprised, almost proud to be related to a man like Roberts. "Okay…"

"There's more: now that your brother's dead, you are the last living relative of Bartholomew Roberts, and therefore you must be at the meeting of the Fourth Court."

Marana still wasn't completely satisfied. "If one of his descendants must be at the meeting of the Brethren Court, who was at the meeting of the Second and Third Court?"

Jack answered, "Your great-grandfather was at the meeting of the Second Court, your grandfather was at the meeting of the Third Court, and since both your parents and your brother and sister are both dead, it's your job to be at the meeting of the Fourth Court."

Marana nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."

Jack shook his head again. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. See, you have to submit a piece of eight, and you have to agree to fight alongside us if necessary."

Marana thought about the piece of eight. Every Pirate Lord had a piece of eight that told something about their character. They would put it into a bowl at the meeting to confirm their lordship and right to be heard. Jack's piece of eight was the string of beads that hung from his bandana. Marana thought about something that could be her piece of eight.

"Jack, of course I would fight alongside you. I am completely fine with this…but why did you wait so long to actually tell me?" Marana was suspicious.

Jack sighed. "I don't know. I don't think you would have understood very well, seeing as how you come from a family of wealthy townspeople."

Marana sighed as well. "Well, it's settled now, Jack. I'll go with you, and I'll fight with you."

Then she saw Will unrolling the charts. The crew gathered around him. She and Jack stood behind him and looked over his shoulder.

He pointed at an island on the map. "There's a fresh water spring on this island. We can resupply there and get back to shooting each other later."

Jack looked at Barbossa. "You lead the shore party. I'll stay with my ship."

"I'll not be leaving my ship in your command." Barbossa glared at him.

Will interjected. "Why don't you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command?" When both captains glared at him, he added, "…temporarily."


	9. A Deal with Beckett

A Deal with Beckett

**A Deal with Beckett**

Everyone was gathering bottles, jugs, and barrels to fill with water on the island. Marana had two attached to her shoulders, and she was about to get into one of the rowboats when Jack stopped her.

"Marana," he said, "Please stay on the _Pearl_."

"Why?" she asked in surprise. "I'm fully capable of going ashore."

Jack sighed and brushed her bangs out of her face. "I don't think it's very safe there. I want you to stay here. Please, love, just stay here."

Marana just gave a little smile, handed her water jugs to Jack, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Alright, Jack, I'll stay."

"Good girl," he replied, kissing the back of her hand before getting into his boat. Marana giggled and waved after him as the boat was lowered into the water.

It wasn't until all the boats had gone ashore that Marana noticed that the _Empress_, the flagship of Sao Feng, was sailing right up next to them.

- - - - - - -

Eventually, the _Pearl_ was taken over. Feng and his crew stormed aboard and put everyone, except Marana and Will, in chains. When Marana spotted the crew of the _Pearl_ rowing back, Feng grabbed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lark," he snarled in her ear, "But there is someone who wishes to see you." He shoved her to the rail. A Navy rowboat floated in the water below them. Feng forced Marana into the boat, where her hands were bound together by a soldier. She did nothing but sit silently as she was rowed to the _Endeavour_, which was moored nearby.

- - - - - - -

Marana was brought into Beckett's cabin.

"Well, now, Miss Lark, it seems you are in a very tight situation right now." Beckett said very clearly from where he sat at his desk.

Marana's hands had been unbound, and she glared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Beckett smirked. "You've recently been brought back from the dead, and now your own crew has been mutinied upon. Quite a tight situation, isn't it?" He stood up and walked towards her.

"I've been through worse," she replied bravely.

"Oh, have you?" Beckett was only a few steps away. "I have a few questions to ask you, and you would do well to answer them without question."

Marana smirked. "And how can you be sure I will answer them to your liking?"

Marana's smirk was washed away when she had the barrel of Beckett's pistol in her face.

Beckett was the one smirking now. "First of all…how much do you know about your significance to the Brethren Court?"

Marana kept a straight face and a clear voice. "My great-grandfather on my father's side was Bartholomew Roberts, one of the men who wrote the Pirate Code. At each of the meetings of the Brethren Court, his oldest living relative must be present, and has value almost equal to that of a Pirate Lord. Since my brother Conrad is now _dead_, thanks to you, and my sister Julie recently passed away from smallpox, I am his only living relative, so I must be at the meeting of the Fourth Court."

Beckett nodded. "Now…who are the Nine Pirate Lords?"

Marana's eyes became wide. "I only know of Jack Sparrow and Sao Feng. Jack is Lord of the Caribbean, and Feng is Lord of the South China Sea."

Beckett cocked his pistol. "Is that all?" Marana nodded. His finger was resting on the trigger. He was about to shoot her.

Luckily for Marana, at that moment, Jack was shoved into the cabin. Beckett and Marana simultaneously turned to stare at him. Beckett quickly put away the pistol and walked over to the window to stare out at the two other ships.

Jack stared at Marana in disbelief. "I'm so sorry I left you there, Marana." He whispered while he hugged her. She gently pushed him off her.

"Curious," Beckett muttered. "Your friends appear to be quite desperate, Jack. Perhaps they no longer believe that a gathering of squabbling pirates can defeat the _Flying Dutchman_, and so despair leads to betrayal. But you and Marana and I are no strangers to betrayal, are we?"

Jack looked up from the box he had been poking through to glare at Beckett. "You leave Marana out of this, bastard. She has never betrayed me for as long as we've known each other."

Beckett smirked. "Oh, I believe she has." Marana lowered her head, as if in guilt.

Jack put a protective hand on her shoulder. "If you're referring to the time she and Mr. Turner tried to get my compass-"

Marana cut him off and said to Beckett, "I was doing that to save my friend and find Jack. I never betrayed him. I just got angry."

Beckett looked at the box Jack had opened. "Oh, by the way Jack, it's not here."

"What? What isn't?" Jack asked as he closed the box.

"The heart of Davy Jones…" Beckett replied with a smirk. "It's safely aboard the Dutchman…and so unavailable to use as leverage to satisfy your debt to the good captain."

"Wait…" Marana interjected. "That debt was paid. I saw his death."

"Yes," Jack added. "That account has been settled."

Beckett smirked again. "But here you are," he said.

Jack picked up Beckett's cane and smiled. "Close your eyes and pretend it's all a bad dream. That's how I get by."

"And if Davy Jones were to learn of your survival…?" Beckett tried to slap some sense into the situation.

He walked over to a little table and poured two glasses of very strong liquor. He offered one to Jack. "Perhaps you'll consider an alternative arrangement…one which requires absolutely nothing from you…but information."

Jack took one of the glasses. "Regarding the Brethren Court, no doubt in exchange for fair compensation…square my debt with Jones…and guarantee my freedom along with Marana's…"

"Of course," Beckett replied as Jack drank both glasses of liquor. Beckett poured another glass and took it. "It's just good business," he added.

Jack picked up a pewter figurine of Beckett that stood on the desk. "Were I in a divulgatory mood, what then might I divulge?"

"Everything…" Beckett stepped closer and whispered, "Where are they meeting…who are the Pirate Lords…and what is the purpose of the Nine Pieces of Eight?"

- - - - - - -

Beckett sat at his desk and heard out Jack's negotiations.

"You can keep Barbossa, the belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye, both." He closed the fan he had been fanning himself with and leaned over the lord's desk. "…And Turner, especially Turner…the rest, _including Marana_, go with me aboard the _Pearl_ and I'll lead you to Shipwreck Cove-"

Marana kicked him hard in the shins. "You can't do that, Jack!"

"-where I will hand you the pirates, and you will _not_ hand me to Jones…bloody fair deal, don't you think?" He began fanning himself again.

Marana kicked him again. "Jack, you can't just betray your friends like that!"

"Who says they're my friends?" Jack rounded on her.

"Just shut up, Jack!" They turned back to Beckett to hear his side of the agreement.

"And what becomes of Miss Swann?" Beckett asked while playing with a piece-of-eight coin.

Marana raised her eyebrows. "What interest is she to you?"

Beckett smirked. "Jack, I've just recalled, I've got this wonderful compass which points to whatever I want." He walked over to a table across the cabin and picked up Jack's compass, holding it in his outstretched palm. "So for what do I need you?"

Jack smiled a little. "It points to the thing you want most, and that is not the Brethren Court, is it?"

"Then what is, Jack?" Beckett asked.

"Me…" Jack answered. "…Dead."

"Damn…" Beckett tossed the compass to Jack and got the fan in return, which he opened and began fanning himself with. "Although…if I kill you and you little girlfriend, then I can use the compass to find, Shipwreck Cover, is it, on my own."

He pulled out his pistol and cocked it, pointing it at Jack. "Cut out the middleman, as it were."

Jack began walking in a circle around Beckett. Marana stood back, watching as Beckett and the pistol followed him. "With Marana and me killed, you'd arrive at the Cove, find it a stronghold nigh impregnable, able to withstand blockade for years, and then you'd be wishing 'Oh, if only there was someone I had _not_ killed inside…to ensure that the pirates then come _outside_.'"

"And you can accomplish all this, can you?" Beckett asked. Marana came up to Jack's side.

"You may kill me, but you may never insult me," said Jack, "Who am I?"

Beckett was clueless.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

At that moment, a cannonball crashed through the window, causing Beckett to lose his balance and fall back into the desk.

"Done!" Jack shouted shaking his hand, grabbing Marana's, and sprinting from the cabin. He ran up the stairs, dodging cannonballs, until he got to of the cannons on the top deck. He grabbed a rope, tied it to the end of the cannon, and threw the other end over the mast and caught it. Marana stood the pewter Beckett in the barrel of the cannon. Jack grabbed a taper to light the cannon when Beckett came up.

"You're mad," Beckett stated.

Jack smirked. "Thank goodness for that, 'cause if I wasn't, this would probably never work." Marana quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he fired the cannon.

The cannon jerked back and toppled down the stairs, causing both of them to catapult through the air. Marana landed noisily on the deck of the _Pearl_, but Jack landed gracefully on the figure of Neptune on the stern.

"And that was without even a single drop of rum," he addressed the crowd that had gathered on the stern. He jumped down and walked up to Will. He said to Pintel and Ragetti, "Send this pestilent, traitorous, cowhearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig."

When he looked over to Marana, he noticed that she did not look happy.


	10. Argument

Argument

**Argument**

"Marana, you have to understand…"

"_UNDERSTAND WHAT?_" Marana shouted at Jack. "You were just going to _betray_ the rest of the Pirate Lords, all to save your own sorry ass!"

Marana's eyes were stinging with angry tears. Her face burned from yelling at Jack. "You are willing to betray, let's see, Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa, the crew of the _Pearl_, oh and let's not forget…me!" She reached out to slap him, but Jack caught her arm.

"Please, my darling…" Jack was pleading earnestly with her.

"You know what, Jack? Just shut up! Okay? Shut up and leave me alone, because if you're willing to betray me, after everything I've done for you, then you're just a selfish jerk who has no heart or feelings for any other human being!"

She stepped back. Jack was getting angry. "WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE BOTH OF US DIE?" he exploded at her.

Marana was a little startled by his outburst, but she just added, "If it would mean that the rest of the pirates would be free from betrayal, then yes!"

Jack's eyes were furious. "How can you say that, or even _think_ that, Marana?"

"Oh, it's easy, Jack, believe me!" The tears in her eyes dried up. She had the same furious look as Jack. "And I thought I loved you…" she said more quietly.

Jack looked startled. "Well, look how that's changed!" he yelled. "You don't care for your life, or mine! Don't you see? This is the only way I can get out of 100 years of service to Davy Jones, and the only way you can escape being killed!"

"But on top of all this, you would just betray all of your fellow pirates! You'd never earn their forgiveness, and you'd be hated and targeted by countless angry, betrayed pirates for the rest of your life! And…" she held up one finger and took a step towards him. "You would lose my love, my respect, and my admiration. Could you really bear all of that just for the sake of your life? The world would be a better place if everyone went unbetrayed, Jack. Think about that!" She slapped him and stormed out of the cabin.


	11. Marana's Piece of Eight

Marana's Piece of Eight

**Marana's Piece of Eight**

**Author's Note: **_I am trying to make this my longest chapter in the story, just to let you know._

The following morning, when the _Pearl_ arrived at Shipwreck Cove, Jack and Marana were still refusing to speak to each other. Jack tried to put it off his mind. Marana kept as far away from him as possible, until she confronted him later that day, as they were about to proceed forth into the Cove.

"Jack, I'm not going with you." She stated firmly. He narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

"Fine," he said. "Suit yourself. But it'll be _your_ fault when we fail in freeing Calypso, and Beckett's armada destroys us."

She just glared back and said nothing. She went down to the brig, where Tia Dalma was being kept.

She approached the gypsy's cell. "Tia Dalma?" she called softly.

The gypsy sat up on the little bench in the cell and frowned. "Marana, child, why aren't you with Jack?"

Marana replied confidently, "We're fighting right now, so I've refused to go with him to the meeting of the Court."

Tia Dalma looked shocked. "Marana, you _must_ go with them. They are all counting on you."

Marana shook her head. "I am not going. I don't care if Jack is counting on me. He doesn't deserve my help right now. He's nothing but a selfish jerk."

Tia Dalma reached through the bars and took Marana's hand. "But you still love him," she said.

Marana lowered her head. "Yes, I still do. I always will."

"Then go to him, child."

Marana agreed after a long pause. She started to leave, but the gypsy grabbed her hand.

"Take this," Tia Dalma pressed something into her hand.

Marana asked, "What's this for?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

With that, Marana left the cabin, changed clothes, and went out on deck. She sprinted down the gangplank and down to the end of the dock. She tilted her head back and looked at the city. Shipwreck was a city made of thousands and thousands of broken ships, all piled together into a shapeless mound, with various turrets and towers and docks. She heard shouting and screaming and yelling coming from the topmost turret and assumed that that must be where the Court was meeting. She looked at the locket Tia Dalma had given her. It was silver, and shaped like a heart. A long and delicate vine ran along the front, and in the center were the letters _MLL_. They were Marana's initials. Marana opened it, and saw an engraving of Jack inside the locket.

Quickly, she clipped the chain around her neck and took off running.

She ran as fast as she could, through streets and alleys and passages, past ships and people and garbage, until she got to the top of the city. She peered into the open-air meeting hall of the Court and gasped. Everyone was fighting. There were people climbing on the large table that everyone was gathered around and crashing bottles over one another's heads. In the shouting, clamoring crowd, she located Jack.

Jack looked surprised, but he took it her new outfit with a broad smile.

Marana wore feminine but true pirate garb. She was dressed in a peasant-sleeved maroon shirt, skinny brown pants, tight knee-high black boots laced over her pants, and a tight and form-fitting black leather vest. The vest was shaped over the neckline of the shirt perfectly. She also wore a bandana in her hair, but she didn't wear it like Jack's. It was navy blue, and it was folded into a headband, keeping her dark brown locks several inches behind her head.

Jack just stared at her.

Marana put her hand up before he spoke. "I have not forgiven you, Jack, but Tia Dalma convinced me to come here."

"This is madness," she heard Elizabeth remark from where she stood beside Jack.

"This is politics," Jack replied.

"And meanwhile our enemies are bearing down upon us," Elizabeth pointed out.

"If they not be here already…" Barbossa added with an eye roll.

While everyone was fighting, Marana pulled Jack away from the crowd to talk to him.

"Jack, I'm so sorry," she looked deeply into his eyes when she said this. She reached out and touched his face gently.

"What do you have to be sorry for, Marana?" he asked without making eye contact.

She held his face so that he had to look into her eyes. "Jack, I'm just sorry for yelling at you. Usually I can handle problems without my temper rising. Please forgive me, Jack."

When he saw no trace of a tear in her eyes, he pulled her to him and gave her a gentle hug. "Apology accepted, darling," he whispered in her ear. Then took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead.

Marana saw Barbossa climbing onto the table, so she pulled Jack back into the group.

Barbossa fired his pistol into the ceiling of the ship. "It was the First Court what imprisoned Calypso…we should be the ones to set her free! And in her gratitude, she will see fit to grant us boons!"

"Whose boons? Your boons?" Jack asked from where he stood next to Marana. As Barbossa stepped down from the table, he stated, "Utterly deceptive twaddle-speak, says I."

Barbossa glared at him. "_If_ you have a _better_ alternative…please…_share_."

"Cuttlefish…eh?" Jack began to walk through the group of pirates that stood along the left side of the table. "Let us not…dear friends…forget our dear friends, the cuttlefish…flipping glorious little sausages. Pin them up together and they will devour each other without a second thought…human nature, isn't it…or, or…fish nature. So, yes, we could hole up well-provisioned and well-armed and half of us would be dead within the month, which seems quite grim to me any way you slice it…or, as my learn-ed colleague so naively suggests…we can release Calypso, and we can pray that she will be merciful. I rather doubt it? Can we in fact pretend that she is anything less than a woman scorned like which fury Hell hath no? We cannot…_res ipsa loquitar tabula in naufragio_…we are left with but one option…I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are coming out of me mouth…Captain Swann! We must fight!" Jack was on the opposite end of the table

Elizabeth was smirking down at Jack from where she stood between Barbossa and Gibbs.

"You've always run away from a fight!" Barbossa declared.

"Have not!" Jack retorted.

"You have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so, and you know it!" Barbossa finished.

"Have not, slander and calumny," Jack finished confidently. "I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here now that is what we all must do: we must fight…to run away!"

"Aye!" Gibbs shouted.

"Aye!" everyone else agreed.

Barbossa crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "As per the Code, an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the Pirate King."

"You made that up!" Jack accused. Marana was pushing her way through the crowd to get to him.

"Did I now?" Barbossa asked innocently. "I call on Captain Teague, Keeper of the Code!"

Marana and Jack both froze at his last statement.

Sri Sumbajee elbowed his interpreter, who said, "Sri Sumbajee proclaims this all to be folly!" He smacked his hand down on the table. "Eh, hang the Code! Who cares a-"

All of a sudden, a bullet flashed through the air and pierced the interpreter in the chest. He fell back onto the ground.

Marana looked up at a staircase that was on the back wall of the ship. She saw a tall pirate standing at the top, faintly lit by lantern light, and holding a smoking pistol.

Captain Teague blew away the smoke. "The Code is the law." he declared as he began to descend down the stairs.

Marana got to Jack and clasped his hand. Teague came up behind them. "You're in my way, boy," he said to Jack. Marana pulled him to the side a little. Then Teague motioned for the two elderly pirates carrying the Code book to come forward.

They came slowly, carrying the heavy book between them, which they set down on the table. Teague whistled, and a dog came forward, carrying a key ring between its teeth.

Teague took the ring, and was about to unlock the book when he spotted Marana.

"Miss Lark…step forward," he said in his deep voice. Marana stepped cautiously up to the book.

Teague took her right hand by the wrist and placed her palm over the words _Pirata Codex_ on the heavy wooden cover of the book. Marana closed her eyes as she felt the book heat under her hand. A strange red glow came from the letters, and it reflected on her face. Then her locket began to throb. It glowed in the same red color until Marana's hand was jerked back, and she fell back into Jack's arms. Then Teague unlocked the book and opened it to a bookmarked page.

The page was made of a very thick parchment, and it was covered in fancy calligraphy. Teague scanned the page carefully, running his finger along the words.

"Ah…Barbossa is right," he stated, pointing to one sentence.

Jack stepped in front of him. "Hang on a minute…" he looked back over the sentence that Teague had indicated. "It shall be the duties of the King to declare war…parley with shared adversaries…fancy that."

"There had not been a King since the First Court, and that's not likely to change," said Capitaine Chevalle, a French pirate who wore a lot of makeup and fancy clothes.

"Not likely," Teague echoed as he stepped back and sat down on a chair in the back of the hall.

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked.

"See, the Pirate King is elected by popular vote-" Gibbs started.

"-and each pirate only ever votes for hisself," Barbossa finished.

"I call for a vote!" Jack declared.

Everyone rolled their eyes as Teague started playing _Spanish Ladies _on an acoustic guitar.

"I vote for Ammand the Corsair," a tall Arabian pirate in red and brown cotton robes with a huge moustache and a turban said as he stood up.

"Capitaine Chevalle, the penniless Frenchmen," the French pirate said with great dignity.

"Sri Sumbajee votes for Sri Sumbajee," said Sumbajee's other interpreter.

"Mistress Ching!" shouted an elderly-ish Chinese pirate with frown lines.

"Gentleman Jocard!" said a tall black pirate in tribal robes.

"Elizabeth Swann," Elizabeth sighed.

"Barbossa," Barbossa said with great dignity.

"Villanueva!" shouted a bad-tempered, elderly-ish Spanish pirate.

"Marana Lark," Marana sighed.

Jack had to think awhile before deciding, "Elizabeth Swann."

"What?" Elizabeth and Marana said at the same time.

"I know, curious, isn't it?" he smirked. At once, everyone started yelling and arguing and screaming. Then Jack said, "Am I to understand that you will _not_ be keeping to the Code, then?"

At that moment, Teague broke a string on his guitar and glared fiercely at everyone. Everyone slowly sat back down. Mistress Ching gestured at Elizabeth. "Very well…what say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?"

"Prepare every vessel that floats," she said confidently. "At dawn, we're at war."

Then Sumbajee stood up. His beard almost covered his whole chest. "And so…we shall go to war!" He said in a very high-pitched voice. At once, everyone started shouting again. Then Jack, grabbing Marana's hand, turned around and locked eyes with his father.

"What?" he asked after seeing Teague's hard glare. "You've seen it all, done it all…you survived. That's the trick, isn't it…to survive?"

Teague stroked the guitar gently and replied, "It's not just about living forever, Jackie." he stood up and approached his son. "The trick is…living with _yourself_…forever."

Jack nodded. "How's Mum?" he asked, gripping Marana's hand even tighter.

With a stone cold glare on his face, Teague held up a decaying shrunken head. Jack took it with a revolted look etched across his face.

"She looks great," he commented. Then he pulled Marana over near one of the windows.

"Marana…" he began in a whisper.

Marana touched the locket on her neck.

"What's that?" he asked, reaching out to touch it.

Marana opened it and showed him the engraving. "It's my Piece of Eight," she replied.

All Jack could do was smile.


	12. Bitterness and Violence

Bitterness and Violence

**Bitterness and Violence**

Later that night, when everyone was back on the _Pearl_, Jack found Marana sitting on the bowsprit. He came up from behind, reached up, and took her hand gently.

"Marana, are you alright?" he called out softly. Marana didn't turn her head. She just leaned further back onto the ropes that connected the bowsprit to the mainmast.

"We're going to war tomorrow, Jack," she said solemnly.

Jack leaned forward against the railing, staring up at her. "Are you ready, love?"

Marana turned completely around and faced Jack with a sharp but blank glare. "I would think so if you would stop calling me that." She slid down from the bowsprit and landed hard on the deck with both of her high-heeled boots. She started walking away, with her heels making sharp _clack-clack_ing sounds as they approached the stairs.

"Marana, wait." Jack hurried after her and grabbed her arm, pulling her back and into a hug. Marana struggled free and stepped back.

"Jack, I-" Marana began.

Jack cut her off, "Marana, you're going to give me a chance to speak first."

Marana opened her mouth to speak, but Jack cut her off again, "Marana, listen to me."

Marana folded her arms across her chest and glared at Jack, but she let him speak.

"Marana, what do you have against me?" Jack held her shoulders for a second before Marana smacked them off. She stared at him for a solid minute with rage building up in her head, her heart, and in her hands, which were balled into fists. She looked off to the side.

Jack smirked, "Finally, the one time Marana Lark doesn't have an answer."

Marana couldn't take it any longer. She let out a fierce cry, combined with a growl, swung out her pulsing hand, and slapped Jack as hard as she possibly could. She had gotten him hard in the side of the face, and he was staggering off to the side. He caught himself on the rail. Marana gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Jack!" She ran to his side. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry, I-"

All she saw was his fist. Then she felt a strong, sharp, and painful blow to her left cheek. She fell back and crashed to the deck. Her head was hit hard, and she felt something warm along the side of her face. She couldn't see anything. Her eyes wouldn't open. She heard footsteps, but they were far away. She couldn't hear Jack's breath, or his voice. He was gone. He had left her.

Then she felt a pair of hands holding the sides of her face. Then there was a sharp pain where one of the hands was touching her. Her eyes shot open and she cried out in pain.

"Marana!"

She looked up. Elizabeth was kneeling over her.

"Marana, oh, my God!"

Marana cried out again as her friend's cool hands came in contact with her face again. Elizabeth hugged her as tight as she could without hurting her and sobbed. Then she turned her head and screamed,

"Barbossa!"

Barbossa was running up the stairs. He kneeled next to Elizabeth.

"Marana, what happened? Who hit you?"

Marana groaned softly. "Barbossa, Elizabeth, help me."

She closed her eyes, and then she felt herself being lifted. She heard footsteps, and then Barbossa walked down the stairs with her in his arms. She heard a slightly panicky version of Jack's voice.

"What happened to her?"

Marana opened her eyes and glared at him. "I hate you," she growled. Barbossa carried her downstairs and into a small cabin. He set her down on a bed and took a wet cloth out of a bucket of water. He squeezed it out and started dabbing her face with it. Marana clenched her teeth. Her face hurt so much that it made her eyes water. She whimpered and cried a little but waited until Barbossa was done before actually sobbing.

Elizabeth squeezed her hands. "Marana, it's alright. You're going to be fine." Elizabeth was crying too. Barbossa gently helped her sit up and then he started cleaning the bloody cut on her head from when she crashed to the deck. Marana clenched her teeth again and stopped crying.

When Barbossa was finished cleaning her head, he folded another cloth into a square, dipped it in water, and handed it to Marana.

"Marana, you'll need to keep this on your head until the bleeding stops." he placed it gently into her hand, and she pressed it gently to the cut on her head. Then she stood up.

"Marana, what are you doing? You need rest." Barbossa was a little surprised. Marana ignored him, kept the cloth on her head, and stepped out of the cabin, walked upstairs, and stepped out of the cabin. She walked straight to the bowsprit. She knelt down where she had fallen and examined the blotch of her blood that was soaking into the black wood. She cautiously reached out one finger and touched it. It was still wet, and her fingertip instantly turned red.

She wiped the blood off onto her pants and kept the cloth pressed to her head. Then she took it off to see how bad the bleeding was. Her mouth dropped open and she turned ghostly pale.

The entire cloth was soaked through with blood and dripping onto the deck.

Suddenly, her vision became blurry, and she lost her balance.

Marana fainted, right where the blood stain on the deck was.


	13. Marana's Anger

Marana's Anger

**Marana's Anger**

The following morning, Marana woke up with her face pressed into something soft. When she sat up, she sat that she was in Jack's cabin, lying on Jack's bed. He was sleeping next to her. Her face twisted into rage, and she immediately stood up and backed off. Jack's eyes opened and he looked up, seeing Marana staring down at him.

He stood up and approached her. Marana stepped back. Jack reached out and took her by her arms. Her eyes filled with tears. He took one look at her face and gasped.

The entire left side of her face was covered by a long black, blue, and purple bruise. He touched it gently with one finger, but Marana slapped his hand away and stepped back even farther. Marana's veins were pulsing, and her hands were clenched into fists. Jack suddenly grabbed her and kissed her. She surrendered for a second, letting Jack's lips press harder and harder onto hers. Then she'd had enough.

Marana took a split second before taking action. She grabbed Jack's shoulders, raised one leg, kneed him in the stomach, shoved him back onto his bed, and pulled two daggers out of her shirt. She saw Jack gasping for air, since she had knocked the wind out of him. Suddenly, a large gust of wind swirled around her, forming a small tornado. When it stopped, she felt different. She was in different clothing: tight black elbow-length v-neck shirt tucked into skinny black flares. A wide black cloth belt was tied around her thin waist. When she looked in the mirror, she saw that her hair was much shorter, and black. It was about shoulder-length. Most of it was tied into a high ponytail behind her head, but two thick strands, formed into long spikes, framed the sides of her face. Her eyes had gone from brown to emerald green, and her lips were painted black. Unfortunately, the bruise was still covering her face.

She turned around when she heard Jack moaning. He sat up. He was breathing again.

"Marana, what _happened_ to you?"

Marana stepped closer in her high-heeled black boots and replied, "This is me, Jack, when I'm angry. When I get mad enough, I lose myself, and I assume this form. When I'm like this, I'm much more aggressive, I'm a lot more powerful, and no one stands a chance against me. I hate being this way, Jack, but once I'm like this, it takes a long time to change back." With that, she left the cabin. As soon as she stepped into the sunlight, Barbossa stopped her.

"Marana, is that you?" he asked suspiciously.

Marana nodded, "Yes, it's me, Barbossa. What do you need?"

"We're to go ashore to make negotiations with Beckett and Turner. Get Jack," he said. Marana sighed, went back into the cabin, and beckoned Jack to come out. She went back outside and climbed into one of the rowboats, where Elizabeth and Barbossa were already sitting. Once Jack joined them, the boat was lowered into the water.

They rowed to a thin strip of sand off the shore of Shipwreck Cove. They beached the boat and got out. Forming a horizontal line, they began walking down to the end of the strip, where Beckett, Davy Jones, and Will were all waiting for them.

Marana was at one end, next to Jack. She had buckled her sword belt onto her waist and put the daggers into the dagger loops in the belt. She walked with her head held high, like no one could bring her down. Her left eye was squinted a little from the bruising, but she tried her best to keep it open. It was important that she look confident in front of her enemies. She had to be strong, and she had to be ready to negotiate.

When the four stopped, they stood about six feet away from Beckett, Jones, and Will.

Barbossa was the first to speak,

"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door."

Beckett looked at Will, "Don't blame Turner. He was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect, look to your left, except you at the end. You will look to your right."

Will squinted at Marana, "Who's that?"

"It's Marana," Jack answered. "It's a long story that I don't feel like explaining right now. Anyway, my hands are clean in this…figuratively."

Will spoke out, "My actions are my own and to my own purpose. Jack had nothing to do with it."

"Well spoke, listen to the tool!" Jack exclaimed.

"Will, I've been aboard the _Dutchman_." Elizabeth pleaded. "I understand the burden you bear, but I fear that cause is lost."

"No cause is lost," Will continued, "If there is but one fool left to fight for it."

Elizabeth looked a little flustered. Beckett held out Jack's compass. "If Turner wasn't acting on your behalf, then how did he come to give me this?" he looked at Jack, "You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates, and here they are." He tossed the compass to him, "Don't be bashful. Step up and claim your reward."

Marana, Elizabeth, and Barbossa were all glaring angrily at him. Then Jones said angrily,

"Your debt to me is still to be satisfied, one hundred years in servitude aboard the _Dutchman_, as a start."

Jack pointed out, "That debt was paid, mate." he gestured at Elizabeth, "With some…help," he said nervously.

"You escaped!" Jones accused.

"Technically-" Jack started, but was cut off by Marana.

"I propose an exchange," she stated boldly.

Beckett looked interested, so she continued, "Will leaves with us…and you can take Jack."

"Done," Will stated.

"Undone!" Jack declared.

"Done!" Beckett said.

"Undone!" Jack shouted again.

"Done!" Marana and Elizabeth finished together.

Barbossa cut in, "Jack's one of the nine Pirate Lords. You have no right!" he accused of Marana.

Elizabeth interjected, "But _I _have right, because I am King!" She and Marana glared at Jack, until he made a slight bow.

"As you command, your nibs," he said with a smirk.

"Blackguard!" Barbossa cried out, unsheathing his sword and slicing the string of beads from Jack's bandana. It fell to the ground and got picked up by Jack the Monkey. Barbossa stepped closer to Jack. "If ye have something to say, I might be sayin' something as well."

"First to the finish, then?" Jack stood up straight and switched places with Will.

Beckett stepped forward, "Advise your Brethren: you can fight, and all of you will die, or you can _not_ fight, in which case only _most_ of you will die."

Marana stepped forward, "You murdered my brother."

"As well as my father," Elizabeth came up next to her.

"They chose their own fates," Beckett said almost in a whisper.

"And you have chosen yours…we _will_ fight," said Elizabeth.

"And _you will_ die," Marana finished. She, Elizabeth, Will, and Barbossa turned and began walking back down toward the boat.

"So be it," declared Beckett.


	14. Spirit and Determination

Spirit and Determination

**Spirit and Determination**

When they were all back on the _Pearl,_ Marana stated to Barbossa, "We'll have to use the _Pearl_ as a flagship to lead the attack."

"Oh, will we, now?" Barbossa looked over at the opening to the lower decks, where Tia Dalma was being brought out. She was surrounded by ropes, and she walked slowly so she wouldn't trip on any of them. She was led directly under the mast, where Ragetti held the bowl with the Pieces of Eight. Will suddenly lashed out,

"Barbossa, you can't release her!" He was restrained by two crewmen with pistols.

"We have to give Jack a chance!" Elizabeth pleaded.

Marana retorted, "That would be helpful but not necessary, Elizabeth, seeing as how Jack is a big boy and therefore capable of handling things on his own."

Barbossa stepped up to the Pirate King. "Apologies, Your Majesty, too long my fate has not been in me own hands…no longer!" He ripped the Piece of Eight, a black cord with a jade pendent, off of her neck. Then he moved to Marana. "Marana, I agree with you one hundred percent. Jack can handle things on his own. Now, your Piece of Eight…"

Marana snapped the chain from her neck and handed it to the captain. He dropped the two necklaces, along with Jack's string of beads, into the bowl that Ragetti held in front of the captured gypsy.

"Be there some manner of right or incantation?" asked Gibbs.

Barbossa gestured over the bowl, "Items brought together, done…items to be burned…" someone handed him a lit taper. "…and someone must speak the words 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds'".

"Is that it?" asked Pintel, looking doubtful.

"'Tis said it must be spoken as if to a lover," Barbossa added with a smirk. Everyone started murmuring.

Barbossa raised the taper, "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!"

He brought the taper down into the bowl, where rum had been poured to ignite the flames, but nothing happened.

"No, you didn't say it right!" Ragetti stated. "You have to say it right."

He stepped closer and whispered in the gypsy's ear, "Calypso…I release you from your human bonds."

Suddenly a flame shot out from her mouth and into the bowl, lighting everything on fire and causing the bowl to float in midair. Purple smoke was coming from the burning objects, which snaked itself into her nostrils. Will fought his way to the front so he stood in front of her.

"Tia Dalma!" he shouted. When she didn't answer, he almost whispered, "Calypso!"

Calypso's eyes locked onto his, and the bowl dropped to the deck, scattering the ashes of the burned objects.

Will continued, "When the Brethren Court bound you to human form, who was it who told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?"

"Name him!" Calypso shouted.

"Davy Jones!" Will stated.

Suddenly the gypsy let out a painful moan and tilted her head back. She began to grow. She got taller and bigger and wider. The wood of the deck was strained by her immense weight. When she stopped growing, she reached the top of the highest mast.

Barbossa and the rest began kneeling. "Calypso," the captain shouted. "I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. Spare meself, me ship, me crew, and unleash your fury on those who dare call themselves your masters…or mine."

Suddenly Calypso began shouting. She was screaming curse words at the pirates in another language that no one understood. After a little while, she exploded into a bunch of white crabs which spilled over the sides of the ship and into the water.

Barbossa and Marana walked to the railing and looked out at Beckett's fleet. The water was calm, and the sky was mostly clear. "Nothing," Barbossa observed. "Our final hope has failed us."

"I'm sorry, Captain Barbossa," Marana uttered quietly while looking into his eyes.

She looked down. Barbossa took her chin in his hand and lifted her face until their eyes met again. "Don't be, Miss Lark," He took his hand away and looked out at the water again. "I was a fool to hope."

"It's not over," Elizabeth stated.

"There's still a fight to be had," added Will.

"We've an armada against us," observed Gibbs.

"And with the _Dutchman_, there's no chance," Marana said grimly.

"There's only a fool's chance," Elizabeth said sadly.

"Revenge won't bring your father back Miss Swann, or your brother, Miss Lark, and it's not something I'm intending to die for." Barbossa stated firmly.

"You're right. Then what shall we die for?" Elizabeth began walking towards the rail. "You will listen to me…LISTEN!" she commanded of the crew, climbing up onto the rail and holding onto the rigging for support. "The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the _Black Pearl_ to lead. And what will they see? Frightened bilge rats upon a derelict ship, no; no they will see free men, and FREEDOM! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons. They will hear the ring of our swords and THEY WILL KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs, and the courage of our hearts…gentlemen, hoist the colors!"

Marana gazed up at her friend with admiration. "Hoist the colors!" she commanded.

"Hoist the colors!" added Will, followed by Pintel.

"Aye, the wind's on our side, boys. That's all we need!" Gibbs shouted. Then everyone started cheering.

Together, Elizabeth and Marana shouted at the top of their lungs, "HOIST THE COLORS!" to the rest of the Pirate Lords.

Nine flags were raised into the air, and the spirit of the Pirates could be heard and felt in everyone's heart and soul. Marana felt victorious, and the fight hadn't even started yet. She gripped the hilt of her sword, feeling the pressure she exerted on it. Her matching daggers hung on her belt, ready to be used as throwing knives.

Marana's spirit was strong, powerful, determined and, most of all, free.


	15. Suicide

Suicide

**Suicide**

"To arms!" shouted Marana. "Let's show them what we're made of!"

Her heart felt amazingly free, even after her fight with Jack. She felt as if she didn't need him anymore. She fingered her sword, a long and shiny cutlass with vine engravings and gold filling in the handle. It made her feel strong.

"Jack," she whispered. "Our love cannot work out, but I want to stand beside you for one last fight."

She walked to the railing and stared out at the armada. The line of ships stretched out as far as the eye could see. She felt hard, cold raindrops beginning to pour down above her. She was not afraid. She was determined. She felt someone come up behind her and place an arm around her shoulders.

"Good luck, Marana. I know you no longer have Jack at your side, but you've got me…as a friend."

It was Will's voice that reached her ears. Before she could even say anything, she noticed the clouds beginning to swirl in an everlasting circle, and a giant, deep whirlpool was forming out to sea. The rain gathered on her eyelashes and spilled down her cheeks. She turned and faced Will.

"Will, thank you for that. My love for Jack can never work out, but your love for Elizabeth can. I would do anything to ensure that you two could be together." Marana took both his hands and looked him straight in the eye. Then Gibbs and Barbossa started shouting orders. Will gave her a quick and tight hug and kissed her cheek before running off with the rest of the crew.

The _Black Pearl_ began moving head-on towards the Maelstrom.

She was barely listening to the orders that were being tossed around by Gibbs until she realized that they were going to sail straight down into the whirlpool. She, Elizabeth and Will walked up to the captain.

"Captain Barbossa!" shouted Elizabeth.

"We need you at the helm!" Marana pleaded.

He turned and faced them. "Aye, that be true." He went to the wheel and shoved Cotton out of the way. "Brace up yards, ya cack-handed deck apes! Dying is the day worth living for!"

Marana began running around, doing whatever Barbossa or Gibbs or Will told her to do. She tightened and loosened ropes, loaded cannons, and whatever else needed to be done on a sailing ship. Then, as the rain started coming down harder, she noticed that the _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman _were directly aligned.

"Fire!" Barbossa was shouting.

"FIRE ALL!" Marana screamed at the top of her lungs. The air was suddenly filled with the sounds of booming cannons. She walked over to the rail and looked out at the opposing ship. All around her, the stairs and the decks and the rigging were getting hit and destroyed by the cannonballs, but she didn't get hit…

…until one particular cannonball came crashing into the stairs next to her, sending giant pieces of splintered wood digging into her stomach, chest, and arms. She fell backwards onto the deck, almost unconscious.

"MARANA!" she heard Barbossa's frantic shout. She saw him kneeling on the deck next to her. His eyes were wide with fear as he held her face between his hands. He looked as if he was about to cry. Marana reached up and touched the side of his face with one finger. She gave a tiny smile.

"Captain Barbossa, I'll be fine. Don't worry," Then, as if by magic, the splinters inside her dissolved and the blood faded. Marana stood up, holding the captain's hand, and gave him a quick and tiny hug.

"Thank you so much!" she shouted. Then he gave her the _tiniest_ kiss on her lips that he could muster. She just gave a big smile and looked out towards the _Dutchman _again. The members of the crew were starting to board. She quickly ran back to Barbossa.

"Captain…Hector, if I don't get out of this alive…" she didn't finish her sentence. She just threw her arms tightly around the captain. She waited for him to hug her back before she let go, not looking back as she drew her sword and started hacking randomly at the crew members that landed on deck. Suddenly, she made a dangerous decision.

"Hector!" She shouted. He was back up at the helm. She quickly ran up to him and clasped his hand. She looked into his eyes. "I'm going over to the _Dutchman_."

He clasped her hand even tighter. "Marana, please don't. I care about you. You'll be killed over there."

She shook her head. "No, Hector, you have a job to do here. You have to keep this ship running, and I know you can do it. Me, I have my own job to do, and that's with Jack. I care about you, too." Just before she let go of his hand, he leaned down and gave her another kiss, but it was directly on her lips, and he let it linger a little longer than the last one.

Without looking back, Marana grabbed a rope and jumped off of the ship.

For only a few seconds, she was sailing through the wet air, over the Maelstrom. She was scared at first, but when she landed on deck, she realized what she had to do. She immediately found Jack. He was fighting with Davy Jones. When she saw him get knocked back against the stairs, she ran over and clasped his hands.

"Jack, we need to do this together." His face twisted into rage. He reached out to hit her, but she screamed and backed off.

"Jack, what is wrong with you?" she screamed at him as they began dueling. "I'm trying to help you!"

His face was still angry. He was shouting again. "Well, then you can go to Hell!"

Marana was furious, flaming, steaming, and every other word for 'angry' you could think of.

"FINE, I WILL!"

With that, Marana pulled out a dagger, drove it into Jack's shoulder, stabbed her sword into the deck of the ship, ran to the edge and jumped off.

The last thing she saw before her death was Barbossa's shocked face…before the swirling waters of the Maelstrom claimed her life.


	16. The One She Really Loves

The One She Really Loves - Epilogue

**The One She Really Loves - Epilogue**

_Marana was on a beach. She was dressed in all white, from her peasant-sleeved blouse to her narrow flared pants. Everything around her was bleached white: the sand, the sky, and the clouds. The only thing still colored was the ocean. Marana's hair blew lifelessly around her face. She was sitting, resting her folded arms on her knees. She stared out at the ocean. She knew where she was, and she didn't like it._

"_Above all, you did win this war, Miss Lark."_

_Marana looked up and squinted. Her new love stood before her. He offered his hand. She took it and stood up. Neither was smiling, but Marana wanted to. _

"_How did I win, Hector? I'm dead."_

_Barbossa took her hands. "So am I, but a lot of things happened after you killed yourself."_

_Marana looked up into his eyes. "What happened?"_

"_For one, Jack was so stricken by your second death that he almost killed himself. But Jones had already stabbed Turner, so he helped him stab the heart of Jones so Will would survive."_

_She looked even deeper into his eyes. _

_He continued, "And then Jack and Elizabeth escaped from the Flying Dutchman and came back to the Pearl. But Jack still couldn't deal with having you dead again, and he got so out of control that he just pulled out a pistol and shot me."_

_She looked away briefly. "He still loved me, didn't he?"_

_He took his hands away and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, he did, Marana. He loved you through all of your troubles together, but…" his voice trailed off._

_Marana used one finger to lift his chin so their eyes met. "But…what?"_

_He touched her face. "But I love you even more."_

_She pulled her hand away and stared at him. He looked away._

"_Marana, I've always loved you. When I first laid eyes on you back on Isla de Muerta, I couldn't look away. You were so beautiful, and you still are. I know you may not love me but-"_

_Marana cut him off, "Don't say that, Hector. I do love you, believe me, I do."_

_For awhile, the two just stared at each other, smiling and holding each other's hands. Then Marana stepped closer and kissed him. _

_It wasn't just a kiss. It was a union between two people: a heartbroken young pirate and a lovesick pirate captain. And it was the best kiss Marana had ever received, living or dead. _


End file.
